PAGE FOUR
CAMPUS ECHO
DECEMBER—1949
Growth Of College Exemplified In Music Department
Department Has Enriched Campus Culture, Produced Musicians
BY LOUISE JACKSON
The progress of North Caro
lina College can be markedly
traced in any field, but no where
can there be found a better in
dication of growth and develop
ment in the school than that
exemplified in the Music De
partment.
The Department is playing an
essential part in broadening as
pect of a student’s education.
For those students enrolled in
the Music Department, talents
fire developed, personal reasur-
ance is increased, and practice
is given in conducting groups or
training individuals. For the
student body the understanding
of the aesthetic value of music
is greater enhanced. _
Versatile Cheerleader
Wants To Pen Novel
Anyone who stays around Squad, where his delightful an-
North Carolina College’s campus tics and suprising acrobatics
more than two or three days is liave been tJie highlight of many
sure to meet a tall slender chap ;t football game. He successfully
with a gift of gab who answers captures the school spirit and
to the name of “Killer.” aids the students in doing so
Actually the “Killer” is quite with his zestful and unique way
harmless, his real name being of leading yells for the Eagles.
Walker Jason. The origin of the He has helped pilot the student
nickname isn’t definite but it body spiritually through the
“COLLEGENTS’
The North Carolina College choir, directed by Samuel Hill, has become an integral part in the college
life, affording opportunities for expression of musical talent and the providing music for several occas-
The two major divisions of ions. The choir was heard last Sunday in its annual Christmas program at vespers.
the Music Department, the band
and the choir, have interesting
and somewhat parallel orgins:
each is grounded in aiding the
student in his educational de
velopment. Both now occupy in
tegral parts in our college life.
Whether it is at a football game
was all started during his fresh
man year here by some of his
“friends.”
BOXING CHAMP
Jason, quite a versatile stu-
and is now an-
the basketball
football season
xiously
season.
Somewhat abashed, Jason ad
mitted that his reasons for join-
lum and Dr. Elmo Dorsey. lina College and finished under
T + -nniioQ Pnnri Today the choir has become Mrs. Tliomasina T. Green as
Last >ear the Dance Band, integral part of the students’ piano instructor and Mrs. C R.
known as the ^^Collegents was under the supervision -p i ' -1 • mi xj -a
organized under the direction of J/Ij., Samuel Hill its has reach- m Theory. He received
Walter Best. The organization ^ew heights. Many talented Masters Degree from the
}iad no real affiliation with the students are finding furtherance American Conservatory of Music
w'hen”*thVband^^ tempo Music Department except in the ^j^eir mnsinHl nurppv in the in Chicago. Mrs. Victoria C.
for the lustv veils of the stu
dents, or at Vespers when the
choir sets an inspirational and
beautiful background for the
messages delivered.
BAND STARTED IN ’45
The band was organized in
1945 by Stephen J. Wright with
twenty-five pieces. Mr. Wright,
a former pupil of Mr. W. I. How
ard, present bandmaster, organ
ized the band on a small pittance,
with little monetary assistance,
few instruments, and no room
for storage or equipment or
practice. Such was the condition
of the band when Mr. Howard
too the helm. Over a period of
several years, the band has
grown from the point at which
it consisted of twenty pieces to
its present in which it
‘s of si’Ti.v pieces, an annex
musical career in the Chicago. Mrs. ^
use of equipment and room for g]ioir amon^ whom are M^ary ‘~^avis, present visiting instructor
practice. The Collegents were-Eijen Rivers? Mary Banks, Lena North Carolina College, who
Mills, Richard Dye, Lillie
Jones, and Pearl Weaver.
well received and enjoyed a year
of much success.
The College Orchestra con
sists of a group of string players
(four violins, one viola, one cello,
one bass viol) as a nucleus to
0 graduated from North Carolina
College in 1944 and received her
Masters Degree from Michigan
The choir under the leadership University. Esitir to coming to
of Thomas Dawson is subdivided
into Women’s and Men’s Glee
Clubs, both under the direction
which will be added as many of Mr. Hill. Its yearly program
wind players as may be needed jg broad and inclusive. The,
to balance the strings. This Alumni Association will present
group is in its elementary stage t^e choir in concert in February
and its development depends This concert will serve as a pre-
mainly upon the number of
.stringed instruments available, take the choir to Virginia State,
North CarolinTi College, Mrs.
Davis taught at St. Augustine’s
in Raleigh,
MUSIC DEPT. GRADS
class roori
for practice.^
the band was success-
uiring new uniforms
rreatly improv^e its ap-
pearani?^ Lately new instru
ments haw been secured includ
ing kettle drums and an oboe.
Of the band’s sixty members
about fifty percent are Fresh
men. Others are veteran mem
bers some of whom were with the
beginning band in 1945.
COLORFUL ADDITION
A recent and colorful addition
to the band personnel was the
several junior majorettes. These
young ladies deserve special
merit for their performances,
and it might be mentioned thali
they almost “stole the show”
at the “Classics.” Special men
tion sshould bei .given also to
William Torrence, versatile
drum major, who, aside from
being adept as a drum major,
plays at least seven instruments,
including the Alto Horn, Trum
pet, Bartitone, Flute, Piccola,
Saxophone, and the Clarinet.
Mr. Howard pointed out that
usually the band has some con
scientious members who taken
Another important musical
group is the String Ensemble
consisting of around ten players.
But- this group is still in its in
fancy.
The band under the super
vision of Jasper Bell as ‘Presi
dent, John Allison, Se?retary
and Treasurer, Ivory Smith,
Wesi'y I.
and jVlbert
'illiams. Assistant Dire^^tor, is
Petersburg, Virginia,
strong
ssigned to af-, ,Psf--atTArms, Mr.
" Ifoward, Director,
Pauline Marsh, graduate from
„ . , , . , North Carolina College in 1948
a Spring tour which will atiending pradnate
school at Miclii|xan University.
Ruth Morrison, Musa Steele,
l anier Shearin and Doris Jack
son, graduates of the department
are teaching in high schools in
the state. James McLaughlin is
,vport News,
pvfnla" as
school. JohiV;^
poser aiv
nmsie, gra
Carolina C4
with the
mm
dent, is a native of Philadelphia, ing the Cheering Squad were a
Pa. He graduated from the Over- a bit selfish. “I believe,” he
brook high school there and later said, “that the Cheering Squad
spent four years in the Nawv is the connecting link between
where he became the Welter- the players and the spectators,
weight boxing champion of the Just as the quarterback calls the
Middle Pacific. plays on the field, so the Cheer-
Before coming to North Caro- ing Squad calls the yells on the
lina College, Jason worked as a sidelines; and the psychological
semi-professional song and dance e :ect of a word of encouragement
promoter which undoubtedly ac- is well-known. AVhen the fellows
counts, in part, for his versatil- win a game, I like to feel as
ity. During his freshman year though I had an active part in
he was a member of the boxing it.”
team; he also produced a highly Jason, an English major, al-
success'ful show entitled “Night ways finds time for his favorite
of Madness” which embraced all hobby—reading. He started his
of “Bopdom,” (an expression own library and spends as much
used to refer to a new type of time as possible browsing
music and all the accompanying through his books. His secret
paraphenalia). ambition is to write a great
DELIGHTFUL ANTICS novel, and knowing him as we
This school year finds Jason do, we don’t doubt his success
the leader of the Cheering even in this endeavor.
Arm-
High, Richyiond, Vir
ginia, Washington, D. C., Phil
adelphia, New York, and Win
chester, Massachusetts, excluding
a few local concerts in the state.
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS
PROGRAM .
On Deeember^lS, 1949 Ihe
(hoir presented its annual
I'^ef'or of n hig’li
'llollowny, oom-
popular
d rrj,™.. MtiZUj—i^«^'orchestra.
in 1947. He is
Johnny Holloway is a typical
product of the North Carolina
College music department. John
ny is at present doing graduate
work in music at Ohio State. The
versatile musician has ability for
composing arranging in ad-
ditionto beiiig hailed as a saxa-
"pRtio*^rfuoso,
at North Carolina College he
played in the college band and
now
State band Slote Of Officers
For Omega Psi Phi
Is Released
The Tau Psi chapter of Omega
Psi Phi fraternity has released
the following slate of officers for
the year:
Basilens, Randolph Johnson;
Viee-Basileus, Joseph Camp
bell ; Keeper of Records and Seal,
Elbert 0. Robinson; Keeper of
Finance. Frederic Douglass;
Chaplain, Thornton B. Haynes;
Parliamentarian, Hilburn Spar
row ; Dean of Pledges, G. A.
Moore; and Reporter, Preston
Diggs.
Five Omegas have been added
to the chapter as transferees.
They are Grace, Edmond, Davis,
Pliimmer, and Baker.
-
Nothing is more genuinely collegiate than the band which blares for par-
non-prescribed courses^Jn the beats the feverish tempo for lusty football yells and performs in concert
’ quarter. W. I. Howard directs 60 peice NCC band. — Mc
Neill Photo.
Christmas program during the and has been featured with this
Vesper hour. Excerpts from the band as Saxophone Soloist.
Messiah were presented, includ
ing For Unto Us A Child Is
Born, four Soprano Recitatives,
Glory To God, and The Hellelu-
mental Social affairs. It will, jah Chorus. Carols from many
order to develop better efficiency
for the good of the band. Such
students are E'mma Thompson,
Dorothy Price, Pearletta Rus
sell, Thomas Dawson, Ivory
Smith, William Torrence, Clar-
DeBerry, Myrtle Herring
ton, and Twilda Daniels.
planning a year of varied jind
constructive programs. In addi
tion to its annual Band Party
the group will present recitals
in chapel at various intervals and
There are several smaller com- will participate in the depart
ponent units of the band among
which are the orchestra. Dance
Band, and small ensembles.
The trumpet quartet, compos
ed of Thomas Dawson, Henry
Micliaux, Joel Martin, and Al
bert Williams, and the clarinet
trio are two small ensembles
which are useful and available
for occasions on which one or
more short musical numbers are
required. Several members of the
college band are capable soloists,
also sponsor recitals for its out- lands were also featured, which
standing members of the senior
class.
CHOIR GETS START
The North Carolina Choir was
organized in the early 1930’s
under the supervision of Mrs. C-
Ruth Edwards. The original
Three other present music stu
dents who deserve special men
tion are Albert Williams, Jasper
Bell and Leroy Gaynor, Albert
AVilliams, featured trumpet solo
ist, composer and arranger, and
assistant director of the band,
expects to give his senior recital
in February. He will feature his
own composition, “Whirlwind
Polka” arranged for North
Carolina College’s Band. Jasper
College. This fact is Bell, Trombonist, and president
that the Department of the band is composer of a
included carols from Russia,
France, Hungary, England, Ger
many, and America.
The Music Department has
turned out some of the most out
standing graduates of North
Carolina
evidence
is doing its part in helping to Trombone Solo entitled “H Fait
choir was very small in contrast shape the student in such a man- Sombre” which has received
to the sixty-five-voiee present ner that he will be able to cope wide acclaim. Leroj^ Gaynor,
and occasionally two soloists choir. The North Carolina Col- with life situations after college trombonist and arranger is noted
combine as a duet These small lege Choir has grown under the days. Among the outstanding for his unique arrangement__of
aronps are able to give a varied mm '0 J° sSBiauu ^jadxa graduates of the Department the popidar juke box hit,
and full proc^ram with piano Edwards, Mr. Samuel Hill, Miss are: Allen Brown, Concert Pian- Hucklebuck.”
accompaniment CarohTi Jones, Miss R. H. Gil- jst, who studied at North Caro
‘The
nineteen- 50/
May your New Year’s outlook
be the brightest you’ve ever
had! We hope to enjoy your
continued friendship
Student Council